Kaiser Permanente and CommonSpirit Health have expanded their relationship under a new long-term agreement in Colorado.
Kaiser said the deal will give current and future members access to more of Metro Denver's leading hospitals and providers. The arrangement will include integrating Kaiser physicians and employees into CommonSpirit hospitals to care for Kaiser members.
The Mountain Region of CommonSpirit Health, a nonprofit, Catholic health system, operates 20 hospitals and more than 240 care sites, with a team of over 16,000 employees and 5,300 physicians and advanced practice clinicians.
Kaiser provides healthcare services to 515,093 members in Colorado through 33 medical offices and a network of affiliated hospitals and physicians.
"We are proud to have cared for Coloradans for 55 years and to be evolving and expanding access to additional high-quality hospitals and providers to better meet the needs of our members for decades to come," said Mike Ramseier, regional president of Kaiser Permanente, in a statement. "By working together with a like-minded health system, we will deliver on our mission of providing high-quality, affordable healthcare and improving the health of our members and the communities we serve."
Beginning in early 2025, this new strategic relationship will give Kaiser Permanente members access to CommonSpirit hospitals for inpatient and emergency services. These hospitals include St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, St. Anthony North Hospital in Westminster, OrthColorado Hospital in Lakewood, and Longmont United Hospital in Longmont.
Kaiser Permanente said it plans to integrate specialty care physicians and employees into the medical staffs at St. Anthony Hospital, St. Anthony North Hospital, and OrthoColorado Hospital beginning in 2025. This will include hospitalists, general surgeons, orthopedists, cardiologists, palliative care physicians, pulmonologists, and other specialists.
"By combining our medical expertise and commitment to compassionate care, CommonSpirit Health and Kaiser Permanente are building a comprehensive, long-term relationship that will reshape how and where healing can happen," said Andrew Gaasch, CommonSpirit's Mountain region president, in a statement. "We know healing close to home is important to every patient, and through this collaboration, we look forward to welcoming Kaiser Permanente members and ensuring every patient experiences outstanding care and service when they need us most."
"We regularly assess our relationships with hospitals and community providers to ensure we provide our members and patients with the right care at the right time and right place," said Jeff Krawcek, M.D., executive medical director and president of Colorado Permanente Medical Group, in a statement. "As we deepen our relationship with CommonSpirit Health, we remain dedicated to delivering exceptional patient care while optimizing our unique care delivery model and exploring new ways to keep healthcare high-quality and affordable."
In Southern Colorado, Kaiser Permanente members have had access to CommonSpirit hospitals in Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and Cañon City for many years. In Colorado Springs, Kaiser Permanente members have access to Penrose Hospital, St. Francis Hospital, and St. Francis Hospital-Interquest. Members also have access to St. Thomas More Hospital in Cañon City and St. Mary-Corwin Hospital in Pueblo.
In addition to aligning with new local hospitals, Kaiser Permanente said it is making investments to build new, state-of-the-art replacement medical offices in Lakewood, Parker, and Pueblo, and renovate many of its 29 medical offices across the Front Range.
